Cooling device



Mmh 9, 1937.

w. w. WILLIAMS 2,072,974

COOLIIIG DEVICE Filed Oct. 24, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. mu ZER w. WILL mm;-

ATTORNEY.

March 9, 1937. w. w. WILLIAMS COOLING DEVICE Filed Oct. 24, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 irv W .M i ms INVENTOR.

h fll. TER I0. WILL/HMJ Patented Mar. 9, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to cooling devices and more particularly to devices of this character designed for the cooling of condenser liquid, generally termed cooling towers.

' It is an object of this invention to provide a cooling unit or tower which is simple and inexpensive and at the same time possesses great efllciency. v

While it is the main object of this invention to provide a device for reducing the temperature of the cooling liquid for circulation through a condenser,- the device is not limited to this particular use, as it is capable of being employed as a humidifier and for other purposes.

With these and other objects in view, refer ence is made to the accompanying sheets of drawings which illustrate a preferred form of this invention with the understanding that minor changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of anembodiment of this invention with parts broken In the embodiment of this invention illusia'ated, a hollow shaft I is mounted for rotation in bearings 2 carried on horizontal plates 3 having depending vertical brackets 4 supported upon similar horizontal angle irons 5 secured on each side of circular openings 6 concentric with the axis of the shaft I- provided in the side walls 1! of a casing of an upblast discharge multivane fan blower of the sirocco type, which side walls are mounted upon vertical supports 8, preferably in the form of angle irons, resting upon and secured to the-bottom 9 of a rectangular casing 50 surrounding and spaced apart from the fan blower casing. Said plates 3 and 5 are also mounted upon'the vertical supports 8.

The fan blower is a modification of the commercial type and includes two multivane fans in which the blades or vanes H are supported in radiating equally spaced-apart relation upon the shaft l in annular frames l2 engaging the opposite ends of the vanes and mounted upon a hub l2 secured upon the shaft l preferably by extending threeequally spaced-apart radial blades l3 tapering from the frames l2 to the hubs l 2, in the form of a spider as shown in the vertical sectional portion of Figure 1. The hous-' ing ll surrounding the fans between the end walls I extends on a convolute'curve with a gradually increasing space between the housing and fan in the direction of travel of the fan from 5 a point above the center thereof, as shown in Figure '2. Theside walls I of the housing are spaced apart from the outer sides '01 the fans. The circular openings 6 in the side walls I are preferably of less diameter than the inner diameter of the fans, and-the inner side of each opening is curved, as at IE to terminate in proximity to the outer side of the fan and approximately in line with the inner edges of the vanes. The discharge end of the blower housing opens into and supports a rectangular casing I B, which is also surrounded and spaced apart from the outer casing Ill. The upper part of the casing l6 passes through the top l6 of the surrounding I casing l0 and is connected to an air discharge 20 cowl ll.

The bottom of the casing Ill forms a water tank and one of the side walls adjacent the top is provided with an air inlet l8 so that upon rotation of the fans, air is drawn in through the inlet l8 and about the casing l6'to enter through the openings 6 in the side walls I of the fan blower and thence through the vanes of the fan to be discharged into the casing l6 and passed out through the cowl H.

The hollow shaft extends through the side walls of the casing Ill. One end is closed and provided with a belt-driven pulley 20 connected by 'belts 59 to the driving pulley of an electric motor M. The other end is provided with a rotatable connection 2| to communicate with a pipe 22 leading the cooling fluid from the discharge side of the condenser.

A cylindrical casing 23 is mounted upon the shaft 8 about the hubs l2 from which the blades l3 extend and terminate in line with the outer edges of the fans. The hollow shaft l is perforated within the casing 23 and the cylindrical walls of the casing are also perforated, whereby liquid from the condenser passing through the pipe 22 and hollow shaft i will be thrown by centrifugal forcethrough said perforations, when the fans are operating, in the form of a spray to be carried with the incoming air through the vanes H and discharged into the blower housing. The space between the upper vertical edges of the blades or vanes H of the fans and the edge of the discharge opening above the center of the fans is preferably closed by a plate 28, as shown in Figure 2. It is preferable to support within the easing it or cowl I! one or more eliminators 21 in the form of rectangular frames containing spun glass 2! between screens 29 secured to the sides of the frame. The bottom or lowermost point of the housing I is provided with a discharge opening is arranged parallel to the axis of the hollow shaft I and extending from side to side.

One side of the casing II) forming the fluid tank is provided with an overflow pipe 3| entering the side approximately in line with the bottom of the blower housing It. Av pipe 32 leading to a source of water supply is passed through one side of the casing II preferably below the open ing of the overflow pipe II and is preferably controlled by the float a of a float-operated valve adjusted to close the water supply when the level of the water is Just below the opening of the As hereinbefore stated, the fan blower is a mod-- iflcation of a commercial type. In this improved form, the fan blades or vanes I I are mounted between a plurality of equally spaced-apart annular frames l2 forming a plurality of rectangular pockets II having two sides in planes radiating from the axis of the shaft I and two sides parallel to a plane cutting said axis at right angles thereto. It is preferable to construct the dimensions of the respective sections of the vanes or blades II and the dimensions of the annular plates I2 forming the pockets I I in such relation that the bottoms of the. pockets form substantially square openings upon the side adjacent the shaft I, as shown in Figure 3 The frames I! are preferably secured by rods l2 passing therethrough attached at each end to each outer frame.

When the .device is in operation, the cooling liquid from the condenser is conducted by pipe 22 'to the interior of the shaft I to pass through the perforations therein and enter the perforated casing 23 where centrifugal action delivers the liquid in the form of a spray to the interior of the fan. At the same time, air is drawn in through the air inlet I8 and openings 6 in the side of the fan housing by the rotation of the.

fan blades. The intermingling of the incoming air with the flu d spray scrubs the liquid and reduces the temperature thereof. The air and liquid particles carried in suspension therein pass through the pockets II to impinge upon the convolute wall ll of the blower casing and then through the outlet I8. The particles of liquid separated from the air drain through the discharge opening 3!. This discharge opening forms a liquid seal with the liquid contained in the bottom of the tank. The pockets I I greatthe metal blades and metal partitions.

1y increase the surfaces of the blades of the fan through which the air passes, and in through these pockets, the commingled particles of the liquid spray and air are submitted to a further scrubbing action and evaporation upon the said increased surfaces so that the temperature of the liquid collecting in the tank at the bottom of the casing is reduced sumciently to be returned as a cooling liquid to the condenser.

While there is a reduction in temperature by the scrubbing action of the air upon the spray of the liquid within the fan before passing through thi? fan pockets and by the'air passing over the particles of the liquid separated therefrom upon impinging upon the convolute wall of the fan casing, the greatest cooling effect is accomplished as the commingled airand liquid spray passes through said fan pockets. Here the fluid moistens The latter substantially increases the normal surface of the blades six times; that is, three times on each side, resulting in a substantialincrease in evaporation and scrubbing of the air over the particles of liquid adhering to the inner and outer-metal walls of the partitions and upon the upper and lower surfaces of the metal blades, so that after the further scrubbing and resulting evaporation upon the casing wall, the temperature of the liquid collecting in the bottom of the tank is reduced sufficiently for re-use as a cooling liquid. The float-controlled liquid inlet automatically replenishes the loss of liquid by evaporation and the liquid seal formed by the discharge from the fan blower casing prevents liquid-saturated air of lower temperature, after impinging upon the convolute wall, entering the cooled fluid compartment.

What I claim is:

1. In a cooling unit, a liquid tank, a centrifugal fan blower housing in communication therewith, a motor driven multi-vane fan blower there- 'in, a driving shaft for the fan blower, said blower comprising a plurality of similar parallel spaced apart annular frames, a plurality of flat rectangular equally spaced apart vanes supported in radiating relation to the axis of the said shaft between said plates with a plurality of said vanes extended to engage the said shaft in the form of a spider to support the said annular frames upon the said shaft, means surrounded by said annular frames for discharging the liquid to be cooled in the form of a spray, means for admitting air within the annular frames into which the liquid spray is discharged, the arrangement being. such that a plurality of pockets are formed between adjacent vanes of the fan blower and annular frames for increasing the evaporation and scrubbing action of the air upon the particles of the liquid spray passing therethrough.

2. The structure of claim 1, wherein the sides of the pockets in the fan blower are equally spaced apart at a distance substantialiyequal to the distance between the vanes.

WALTER W. WILLIAMS. 

